Linux overtakes macOS as Steam’s second most popular OS

Valve’s Steam Deck has made Linux Steam’s second most popular OS

Linux gaming is on the rise, and according to Valve’s Steam Hardware Survey, almost 2% of PC gamers are now using Linux, with Linux overtaking macOS to become Steam’s second most popular OS for the first time. 

While Windows remains the most popular OS for PC gamers, the popularity of Valve’s Steam Deck gaming system has proven that Linux has a lot of gaming potential, and that gamers don’t care what OS they use so long as their device has a strong UI and games are playable. 

With over 96% market share, Windows remains the most popular PC gaming OS, with most PC gamers using Windows 10 or Windows 11 on their systems. While overtaking macOS is a huge achievement for Linux, Windows is the dominant PC gaming OS, and that won’t change anytime soon.

Linux’s growth in popularity as a gaming OS is mostly thanks to the release of Valve’s Steam Deck gaming system and Valve’s work on Windows game compatibility on Linux through Proton. This is Valve’s one-two punch that has given Linux what it needs to be a viable gaming OS, game support, and a new product category to fill. Valve’s Steam Deck is an excellent gaming product, and it has almost single-handedly caused Linux’s growing use on Steam.

As Valve sells more Steam Deck systems, we can expect to see Linux to continue to grow in popularity amongst Steam users. That said, we don’t expect to see Linux taking major market share from Windows, as most PC gamers have little reason to choose Linux over Windows outside of the Steam Deck ecosystem.

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